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    Tailback tandem deserves MVP

    Sunday, February 4, 2007, 8:11 PM [General]

    The Bears fail to convert on fourth down, and the Colts take control of the ball. The stadium empties out. A sad night for Bears fans. Adande tells me to look at the Bears mascot on the sidelines. It looks distraught.

    Meanwhile, the score is 29-17. Not that I'm into these kind of things, but the Vegas over/under minutes before kickoff was 47. Amazing.

    Grossman hits Jones for a screen pass, he stays in bounds, and the clock ticks, ticks, ticks away.

    Jeff Saturday and co. get Tony Dungy on the Gatorade shower. Peyton Manning's got his Super Bowl ring. I look for the 300-pound woman in the Reggie Wayne jersey. She's hugging her bearded husband in the Harrison jersey. They are happy. The Bears fan giving them the middle finger in front of them is not.

    My Super Bowl MVP? I'm fine with Peyton winning it, but think Addai and Rhodes should share the award. This entire season's been about these two. When Edgerrin James left, people wondered how the Colts would ever recover. What they got was one of the league's best running back tandems in years. Two modest men, each one willing to share the carries with the other, who came a long way to get where they are right now.

    Their final stat lines?

    Joseph Addai: 19 carries, 77 yards; 10 receptions, 66 yards.

    Dominic Rhodes: 21 carries, 113 yards, 1 TD; 1 reception, 8 yards.

    Give it to 'em both.  They've shared the load all year. Why not share the glory?

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    Un-Bearable

    Sunday, February 4, 2007, 7:51 PM [General]

    The Bears knock through a field goal and it's 22-17. Strange box pool score, to be certain. How many guys got the old "2, 7" and clapped their hands saying, "Yes!" About as many who had money on John Gilmore returning more kicks than Devin Hester. I ask a friend back home how the Super Bowl ads have been thus far. "Not sure. Still reeling from that Prince halftime show." Wow. Was it that bad?

    Joseph Addai's stat line is pretty impressive right now. At the end of three quarters, he's got 17 carries for 63 yards, and 10 receptions for 66 yards. That's 27 touches out of a rookie running back. He's gotta be the MVP at this point. Long ways away from being a backup running back much of last year at LSU.

    The Bears begin a march that could very well become the defining drive of Rex Grossman's career. He hits Mushin Muhammad for 22 yards and the place is rocking. Somehow, some way, the Bears are only down 5 points, with the ball, in the fourth quarter of a game they've been absolutely outplayed in.

    And just as I type those words, Grossman throws a pick six. Devastating. How about that play for Kelvin Hayden. Nick Harper gets replaced, and here comes Hayden-a guy who no one even bothered interviewing on Media Day-intercepting a ball and running it back 56 yards for a back-breaking score.

    And just as everyone in the press area is whispering, "Bench Rex?" "Griese time?" Grossman goes out and throws another pick, this one intercepted by Bob Sanders.

    And as everyone in Colts blue and white are going wild in the stadium, the Bears fans fall silent. No more "Ditka", no more "Da Bears" at every swivel of the head. Rather, just a soaking wet fan base, collectively shaking their heads in confusion.

    The scoreboard shows John Travolta up in a luxury suite. He's smiling and waving. Apparently, he's not much of a Bears fan.

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    Still a tight one

    Sunday, February 4, 2007, 7:11 PM [General]

    After the smoke clears and a flood of text messages come in about what was apparently a really bizarre halftime show for those watching at home, the Colts take control of the ball. Manning leads the Colts down the field, and Vinatieri nails a field goal.

    The Colts continue going with the squib kick, which, if your friend did in a game of "Madden" you'd likely never speak to him again. This #85, John Gilmore, is suddenly the most valuable player on the Bears special teams unit. The Bears go from a 2nd and 1 to a 4th and 23 in no time, being forced to punt the ball away yet again. Grossman fumbles on third down. His numbers right now? 8-10, 55 yards, 1 TD, 0 Interceptions, and a pair of bobbled snaps.

    The Colts march right down again, and Vinatieri puts another field goal through the uprights. Somehow, this game is still a one-possession game. The Colts can't seem to put the Bears away. A TD there likely would have done the job.

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